Our lovely old cat Lily had to be taken as an emergency this Sunday morning to West Mount veterinary in Halifax. She was given a lethal injection around 10 a.m. The attending staff were most caring, gentle and professional. Chris and I stroked Lily as she died. All her pain and stress were over.
Since just before Christmas 2014 she has been treated for an over active thyroid. The symptoms were over activity, loss of weight despite ravenous appetite, thirst and sickness. The medication seemed to be helping until this Saturday, 21 February. She had last seen the vet in Todmorden on Friday 20 February in the afternoon, with her brother Potzo. He was needing veterinary treatment for an ulcer on his right eye.
Her condition deteriorated rapidly on Saturday evening and during the night she was in much stress/pain. We went to the out-of-hours clinic as soon as we could. It's rather a shame her last painful ride had to be so long, rather the 5 minute run to the Todmorden surgery.
Happy days on a sunny summer day in our garden, which she loved.
She is buried in our garden next to her friend Louise.
3 comments:
Sad to read this. Lily was a beautiful cat x
A 14-Year-Old Convalescent Cat in Winter
I want him to have another living summer,
to lie in the sun and enjoy the douceur de vivre –
because the sun, like golden rum in a rummer,
is what makes an idle cat un tout petit peu ivre –
I want him to lie stretched out, contented,
revelling in the heat, his fur all dry and warm,
an Old Age Pensioner, retired, resented
by no one, and happinesses in a beelike swarm
to settle on him – postponed for another season
that last fated hateful journey to the vet
from which there is no return (and age the reason),
which must come soon – as I cannot forget
Gavin Ewart
(with love and commiserations - Dan x)
Thank-you Jude. Thank-you Danny. Both of you met Lily several times. Reserved with strangers, but could be playful and very affectionate, in her youth, Potzo followed her everywhere.
In three of these photos Lily's very curious coat is clearly visible. I called her a 'brindled' cat and cite in evidence "Macbeth" act 1 scene 1 'trice the brindled cat hath mewed' - because it's a clear reference to a black and brown so-called witch's cat.
Re-reading the Ewart poem yet again, it is most apposite. We wait on that last journey one more time.
I've made five interments of cat, but attended just three deaths. It's enough.
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